Reminders to Children
By aeiou78
@aeiou78 (3445)
Malaysia
May 4, 2011 8:48am CST
This early morning, I passed by a shop.
A mother kept on reminding her children if they could remember her instructions or not while they were waiting for the school bus.
I were thinking to tell the mother to ensure that her children could understand her instructions. Then only they can remember them well.
However, I weren't dare to join in their conversation because I were just a stranger to them.
In my mind, we shouldn't remind our children to remember our instructions.
We should remind our children to understand our instructions so that they will do in accordingly.
May I know if this should be the proper way to communicate to our children?
9 responses
@surekharathi (14146)
• India
9 Jun 11
Yes friend reminder is necessary for child. If child is not understand the instructions then the duty of the parents they should repeat the instructions
@aeiou78 (3445)
• Malaysia
10 Jun 11
It is wise to let our children to understand our instruction.
If our children can not understand our instruction, then we have to repeat again and again to ensure they are doing in accordingly.
By repeating our instructions too many times, I might worry our children will dislike us very much.
Then, we shall have a communication problem.
@aeiou78 (3445)
• Malaysia
5 May 11
If I keep on reminding my children for what they should and for what they shouldn't, I am worrying my children will offend me later because they never understand our intention and the consequences.
Once they can understand of whatever they should and whatever they shouldn't, I don't think I should remind them again.
Hopefully, they are good enough to live under minimum supervision or with more independent. Finally, I shall not be a grumble parent in their impression.
@kquiming (2997)
• Philippines
5 May 11
understanding won't come to children unless they remember the instructions in the first place. understanding comes naturally, as they grow up... so it doesn't have to be necessarily pointed out that they should understand. because they will. and the mother didn't have to clarify that.
@aeiou78 (3445)
• Malaysia
5 May 11
You might be right too because everyone should have their own strategy to communicate to their children effectively.
I guess some children might need to be reminded before they could understand our instructions.
This is exactly what you have emphasis here.
For my children, I shall show them the news about the cases of snap thieves, robberies and so on in the newspapers.
By doing so, my children are expected to understand of our instructions to take the necessary preventive steps of their own personal safety and so on.
@aeiou78 (3445)
• Malaysia
5 May 11
Yes, we must ensure everything has been instructed and understood before we leave the home.
It is really embarrassing to teach or to remind our children in the public area.
In my mind, we should explain the intention of our instruction to our children for their understanding before we start reminding them again and again.
I believe once our children understand our intention of what we are asking, I don't think we have to remind or repeat again and again.
@lsdshrooms (214)
• United States
5 May 11
Ignore her, she'll learn her lesson. Some parents are so black-and-white, they don't realize that to learn, you must understand, not to simply repeat and remember.
@aeiou78 (3445)
• Malaysia
5 May 11
I am worrying if I keep on grumbling or repeating my command to my children
, my children will start disliking me.
Later, they might purposely repel to me.
Although sometimes I might grumble a bit, I still insist to persuade my children to get good understanding.
This is the must in my mind.
@yspmyl (3435)
• Malaysia
5 May 11
Children tend to forget our instruction, to let them remember our instruction in the last moment will not be really effective. If we need them to remember something, children needed to be drill with repeating command, and that will definitely make them remember of what we want them to follow. I personally train my children by telling them something that I want them to remember again and again. And that is what our parent tell us too, that is why we always though that our parent or the older people are so long winded. 
@aeiou78 (3445)
• Malaysia
5 May 11
Yes, you are right.
I do have the same impression of my parents who were grumbling me too much.
For me, I just did in accordingly to impress them as a good son.
On the other hand, I discouraged my late father to drink too much of Chinese tea.
The research told me that those who often drank Chinese teas would have a good memory, would always feel headache and liked to grumble very much.
Because of the past bad experience, I hate to repeat my command to my children.
However, I sometimes could not avoid repeating or grumbling my children to ensure they were following to what I said.
@CTHanum (8234)
• Malaysia
4 May 11
I don't have kids but I will always make sure my little nieces and cousin understand the instruction given to them. I will remind them to remember but then I will make sure they understand the instructions by asking them to tell me back what they should do in their own words. So from there I would know whether they understand the instruction or not. Sometimes I like to make it challenging by giving them 'if' situation that makes them think if something happen and could affect to what they should do and how they react towards it. Usually they did great~
@aeiou78 (3445)
• Malaysia
5 May 11
Before my marriage, the way I communicated to my nephews and my nieces was a bit different to the way I communicated to my own children after my marriage.
This is my personal point of view. May be, as a parent to my own children, I shall take it seriously in the way I deal with them. I find out it is easier to communicate to my own children too.
Here, I just want to stress that understanding is very important to make someone agree to what I want. In future, children can judge and manage better when they grow up.
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
4 May 11
It was always my intention to discuss instructions at home with my kids repeatedly so that I was sure they understood. Discussing them as a reminder prior to getting on the bus is fine but we have to remember that perhaps the excitement will not have them listening. So I found it best to do so consistently at home so that I was sure they were listening.
Being a parent is not easy and as long as we are consistent with lots of communication, there will be a better chance to assure that if ever needed that they can think for a minute to all the instructions given to them through out life.
@aeiou78 (3445)
• Malaysia
5 May 11
Great mom in communicating with their children.
We should instruct our children when they are in the right mood and timing to get a good result.
Remembering is not enough. Understanding will be a better strategy to get a good feedback in our communication.
